Light planning – bringing light into the darkness

Those who start arranging their homes usually have numerous ideas. In addition to the interior style, selection of furniture and accessories – one aspect in particular is often underestimated: the lighting. At the same time, houses, apartments and offices pose far more options for lighting design than the individual ceiling outlets would suggest. Helen Neumann, lighting expert at Occhio, reveals how to harmonize interior decor with lighting design.

Let natural light be a guide

When selecting your lighting, it helps to use daylight as a point of reference. On a sunny day we feel active, vital and cheerful. The light is characterized by strong shadowing, stark contrasts and brilliant reflex points. In contrast, most people feel rather tired and less energized on days when the sky is gray and covered with clouds. The light is gloomy, diffused and does not have any plasticity. Therefore, if we move around in rooms that have the same lighting conditions, our well-being is influenced by the association to the cloudy, gray days. Therefore, in the living areas: Use the highest quality of light and combine it with indirect light sources and brilliant spotlights. In addition, focus on the best possible light quality: The measuring unit for solid light is the color rendering, also referred to as the color rendering index (CRI). As a reference, natural light has a CRI of 100. LEDs used in Occhio luminaires come very close to this ideal with a CRI 97 and therefore provide the ideal quality of life in your rooms.

These lights provide the basic lighting

Dare to welcome in darkness

Where there is light, there should also be shadows: Harmonious light planning does not only involve the design of the light, but also consciously incorporates dark zones into the light planning. A dynamic light composition guides the eye and the movement. For example, it invites you to sit down on a seat or actively attracts your attention to a work of art or an exciting wall texture.

Create islands

The secret of excellent lighting lies in combining indirect light with purposefully positioned light accents. The room’s general lighting provides the atmosphere – dim for intimate moments or evenly lighted for a businesslike work mode. So create additional light zones in the areas where time is spent eating, cooking, working or reading. The functional use of spotlights also establishes an intuitive orientation within the room.

For a successful, holistic concept, it is advisable to include the experience and expertise of a lighting consultant, for example, with an Occhio retailer.

With these lights you create light accents

Using light to enhance the atmosphere

Your lighting should be flexibly adjusted to suit your mood, a special event or the respective day and season. The classic approach is by using several light sources throughout the room, for example through intuitive gesture control. Today, it is actually possible to perform activities such as changing the light color, dimming or creating entire scenarios for events such as romantic dinner for two, or an environment where you can focus on work – all of this can be achieved comfortably with the app or controller.

Measuring light

Compared to other conventional luminaires, LEDs can save up to 85% of energy, since they hardly develop any heat. They enable a new, slender luminaire design. Just as is the case with light bulbs, LEDs can also create a warm light. A light color of 2700 Kelvin corresponds to a warmly lit atmosphere.

The only valid lighting reference for Occhio is the sun itself. The measuring unit is the color rendering index (CRI); natural sunlight has a CRI of 100. The light quality of our LEDs comes extremely close to this ideal with a CRI of 97: Colors appear with as much nuance and depth as they do in nature.

The color temperature is also referred to as »light color« and is measured in Kelvin. The lower the Kelvin value, the warmer the light appears, the higher the value, the colder the light is perceived.

Learn more about Occhio quality of light